Anorexia and Bulimia: 9 Myths About Eating Disorders
Bulimia and anorexia - severe deviations in eating behavior from the norm - cause death of people suffering from them more often than all other nervous disorders combined. In 60% of cases, two ailments accompany each other: patients are terrified of possible weight gain and try to refuse food, but periodically they have bouts of sudden hunger and uncontrolled overeating. Each patient with anorexia and bulimia needs the help of a qualified psychotherapist, since it is almost impossible to overcome the developed pathology on your own. It is necessary to have truthful information about their features: numerous misconceptions associated with them create the risk of underestimating the danger that threatens the sick. Today we will debunk several myths about anorexia and bulimia,living among our compatriots.
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The presence of anorexia or bulimia can be identified by appearance
These diseases are insidious: in their initial stages, a person, as a rule, does not look either too emaciated or overweight. When his weight deviates from the norm by 3-7 kg, serious metabolic disorders do not yet occur, but psychological changes are already being observed. The patient either refuses food, then undergoes uncontrolled bouts of appetite, during which he overeats, and then, experiencing the most severe guilt, makes every effort to urgently get rid of the absorbed food. This process is gradually aggravated, but until some time the changes do not affect the appearance in any way.
Cleansing treatments help reduce weight
Almost all patients with bulimia and anorexia, in an effort to prevent the absorption of nutrients by the body, vomit after eating or take laxatives. Such "cleansing" does not bring the expected result. It has been established that after an artificially induced vomiting attack more than 70% of the food eaten remains in the stomach. Emptying the bowels with laxatives removes water from the body, but does not interfere with the absorption of nutrients.
However, the harm caused by such procedures is obvious. It is enough that the frequent use of laxatives threatens dehydration and the development of intestinal dysfunction, and vomiting - the appearance of serious pathologies of the esophagus and stomach.
Men don't get bulimia or anorexia
This is not entirely true. Most women and girls are indeed exposed to anorexia and bulimia (the main risk group includes women aged 13 to 20). However, about 10% of cases are men, including adolescent boys.
Eating disorders are for people with high socioeconomic status
The statement is fundamentally wrong: anorexia and bulimia are not at all diseases of people who occupy a high position in society. But another dependence can be traced: excessive fears of gaining excess weight and the deviations in eating behavior caused by them are closely related to the desire of a person to meet certain standards of appearance, actively promoted by the media. Simply put, the risk of getting anorexia is very high among those who associate success in life with the images they see on the pages of glossy magazines. The analogy between a slender body and well-being imposed by the press in easily inspired people entails a desire to devote all their strength to achieving external signs of well-being at the expense of other activities and hobbies necessary for life. Such a misfortune can happen to anyoneregardless of socio-economic status.
You can get rid of anorexia or bulimia by will
Unfortunately no. Severe eating disorders do not result from “wrong actions” that are easy to refuse. Their reason lies in a psychological shift, which does not allow the patient to soberly assess his appearance and give up attempts to "correct" it. Most patients with anorexia or bulimia sincerely want to start a normal life, but cannot do it on their own. Such people need to consult with a psychotherapist, nutritionist, and often take a course of drug therapy.
Eating disorders - a consequence of a difficult childhood
According to recent studies, up to 80% of cases of bulimia and anorexia have a genetic background, so patients should not blame too much for the troubles suffered in childhood. To improve their condition, these patients are much more important in the process of treatment to obtain support from loved ones. Others should understand that deviations in eating behavior do not arise due to a bad character, bad manners or lack of will. These are severe disorders that require full treatment.
Anorexia and bulimia are not life-threatening
The mortality rate from these diseases is about 10%. Anorexia sufferers die from heart failure caused by electrolyte imbalances in the body, diseases of the digestive system, dehydration, infectious diseases that a weakened immune system cannot cope with, and simply from exhaustion. For patients with bulimia, it is very dangerous to regularly try to get rid of the absorbed food with the help of "cleansing" vomiting: there are many cases of death of such patients from a ruptured esophagus.
Eating disorders are incurable
This is not true. You can get rid of anorexia and bulimia, but treating yourself is futile. The trouble is that a significant proportion of patients do not seriously assess the danger of their condition and seek help too late. Sometimes patients who have started treatment fail and stop it, which can end in disaster.
In addition, disruptions in eating behavior have insidious long-term consequences. For example, many young women with anorexia experience persistent menstrual irregularities and are unable to have children.
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Bulimia and anorexia due to diet misuse
There is some truth to this statement: almost all eating disorders are associated with repeated attempts by people to control their weight through strict diets. However, the real “culprit” of the occurrence of anorexia and bulimia is a psychoemotional shift, due to which a person becomes dependent on dissatisfaction with his own body and attempts to get positive emotions from the process of struggle to “correct” it. Diets alone cannot be called the cause of such ailments, but constant adherence to diets can be a detonator of the disorder.
Patients suffering from anorexia or bulimia cannot control eating behavior and soberly assess the consequences of their actions. They need the help of others. If someone close to you refuses to eat or alternates bouts of overeating with "cleansing" procedures, quickly loses weight, becomes irritable or apathetic, constantly counts calories and talks about the need to lose weight, then this is cause for alarm, especially when it comes to people young age. Such a person needs to be persuaded to urgently meet with a psychotherapist. It is impossible to wait in this case: any delay can lead to very sad consequences.
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Maria Kulkes Medical journalist About the author
Education: First Moscow State Medical University named after I. M. Sechenov, specialty "General Medicine".
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